Signal means for the coin slide of a coin controlled apparatus



Mlauf'h'zs,1931,.s .KCSHYVERS l 2,074,567

SIGNAL MEANS FOR THE COIN SLIDE OF A C'IN GONTROLLED APPARATUS Filed Jan. 24, 1954 l. A V A, 25 r L/8 (/7 3 INVENOR life/ wei C, Sky/ers Patented Mar. 23, 17937 PATENT OFFICE SIGNAL MEANS FOR THE COIN SLIDE F A COIN CONTROLLED APPARATUS Kenneth C. Shyvers, Seattle, Wash.

Application January 24, 1934, Serial No. 708,089

9 Claims.

My invention relates to signal means for the coin slide of a coin controlled appartus and the primary object of my invention is to provide simple and eflicient signal means for use with a coin controlled skill game which will be actuated to give a signal at the end of a predetermined number of operations of the game.

In coin controlled skill games of the form using marble like balls which are projected or shot from one end of an inclined game board, usually by spring means, and are allowed to roll back down the board and drop into holes or pockets in the board, it is common practice to require the insertion of a coin by the player each time before he can release the balls and play the game. Where valuable prizes are to be given, as for high scores made in the game, or at intervals in the operation of the device, it is desirable that these prizes be given only after a certain amount of money has been deposited in the coin controlled mechanism, it being understood that a coin of predetermined value must be deposited each time before the board can be used or operated. I make possible this mode of operation of the game by providing signal means in connection with the game board and by providing devices for operating the signal means, said operating devices being connected with and operated by parts of the game board apparatus which can not be moved until after the insertion of a coin into the coingcontrolled mechanism.

In a preferred form of my invention I provide a signal device which is operated by ratchet means connected either directly or indirectly with the coin controlled mechanism whereby said ratchet means will be advanced one step by each operation of the coin controlled mechanism, said ratchet means being adapted to operate a signal device when it has been moved a predetermined number of steps.

Another object of this invention is to provide a signal device of this nature in which the signals are electrically operated and are controlled by the closing and opening of electric circuits.

Another object is to provide signal control means of this nature which is especially adapted for installation on games of the type which embody a game board having holes or pockets therein and having movable 4means underneath said game board arranged to obstruct or be moved clear of the holes in the game board, whereby balls with which the game is played may be retained Within said pockets or dropped through said pockets, said signal control means being connected with the movable means underneath the game board.

Other and more specic objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying draw- In the drawing Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation on a relatively small scale of a coin controlled skill game device of a form adapted to have my signal means installed thereon.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View on a larger scale showing a portion of a game board and coin controlled slide plate.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section through the game board substantially on broken line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detached plan view on a larger scale showing a preferred form of ratchet-operated circuit closing means and showing a fragment of the slide plate by which it is operated.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View substantially on broken line 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing certain electrical connections diagrammatically.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a modified form\of ratchet means which may be used in connection with this invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary illustration of another modified form of the invention which does not use an electrical signal.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Figs. l to 5 the numeral I0 designates a cabinet or box supported on legs II and adapted to contain game playing apparatus. The game playing apparatus is in the nature of a relatively xed inclined game board I2 positioned within the cabinet I0 and provided with a plurality of holes forming pockets I4 which marble like balls I5 may drop into and pass through. Values are preferably marked on the game board near each of the pockets I 4. One end of this game board is higher than the other end and the lower end thereof is usually provided with spring actuated means, designated generally at I6, by which the balls may be shot from the lower to the higher end of the game board whereby said balls may roll back in devious paths and usually past various obstacles and lodge in the pockets I4 in the board. The design of the face of the game board and the means I6 for shooting the balls I5 to the elevated or head end of the game board are not parts of this invention and are not herein shown in detail. A glass cover I3 is provided in spaced apart relation above the top of the game board. A ball control member is provided immediately beneath the game board for the purpose of either retaining the balls in the pockets or permitting said balls to drop through the pockets. This ball control member may be in the form of a slidably mounted plate Il disposed underneath and in close relation to the game board I2 and having holes I8 therein positioned so that the slide plate I'I may be moved to position the holes IB either out of registration or in registration with respect to the pockets I4 in the game board. Spring means I9 may normally tend to hold the slide plate in a position in which the pockets I4 are obstructed or closed thus preventing the balls I5 from dropping through the pockets I4 and retaining said balls in the pockets I 4 as shown in Fig. 2.

The lowermost end of the slide plate I'I is connected with a coin controlled push member 25 which may be normally locked against movement by means I9 but which may be released and rendered movable by the insertion of a coin of proper size in a coin recess 2I. The slide plate Il is thus normally held in a position in which it will retain the balls I5 in the pockets on the board until after a coin is inserted, after which the slide plate I'I may be moved to the right from the position shown in Fig. 2` to bring the holes I8 into registration with the pockets I4 and permit the balls to drop down. After dropping through the holes I8 the balls may roll down the incline to the shooting means I6 by which they may be played or shot one at a time. From the above description it will be seen that when a player wishes to play the game he must first insert a coin and then move the slide plate Il to render the balls available.

After the balls have all been shot or played they will remain in the pockets until they are again released following the insertion of another coin, theA slide plate being reciprocably moved to the ball releasing position and back each time it is operated.

AThis 'signal means is preferably in the nature of two electric lamp globes 22 and 23 provided on or near the gamer board I2 and connected by wires 2.4; and 25. with switch contacts 26 and 2l. A switch blade 28 is provided with spring contacts 3B and 3|, positioned to. engage, but normally separated from the respective contacts 26 and`2I. A wire 32 may complete the circuit to one side of a source 33 ofelectric current. The other side of the source 33 of electric current may be connected by a wire 34 with the lamps 22 and 23. With these connections as hereinbefore described it will be seen that if the spring Contact member 33 is moved into electricalv contact with terminal 26 the circuit through the'lamp 22 will be closed and if spring contact member 3| is moved into engagement with terminal 2l the circuit through lamp 23 will be closed.

Terminals 265V and 2l and switch blades 23 are supported from a base 35 by blocks 35 and 3'I respectively of insulating material and are positioned adjacent the side of a ratchet wheel 38. The ratchet wheel 38 is rotatively mounted on the base 35 by a central. bearing 45 and is provided with three shorter posts 4I, 42 and 43 and one longer post 44 all of which may be angularly spaced, preferably at unequal intervals, which intervals are somewhat near ninety degrees. The shorter posts 4I, 42, and 43 are positioned at a greater radial distance from the bearing 4E]- than the longer post and are adapted toengage with a shorterlug SII!" on the contact member 3| as the ratchet wheel 38 is` rotated. This causes the spring contact vmember 3| to electrically contact the terminal 27, but the posts 4 I, 42, and 43 are short enough to pass under a longer lug 3B on the spring contact member 30. In a similar manner the longer post 44 is positioned nearer to the center of the ratchet Wheel than the other posts whereby it will be clear of the lug 3 I but will engage with the longer lug 35 and close the circuit through spring contact member 30 and terminal 25. In this way the circuit through the lamp 23 may be closed three times and the circuit through the lamp 22 closed once in each complete cycle of the ratchet wheel 38. The two signal lamps 22 and 23 are preferably of different color, as green and red. Bell or buzzer means or other forms of signal devices may be used instead of lamps if desired. The base 35 will preferably be mounted on a fixed part of the game device, as on the board I 2. The ratchet wheel 38 is advanced by a spring pawl 45 on a lever 45. The lever 46 is mounted on pivot 4I) and has an outwardly extending end 46' which is positioned between two adjustable blocks 4l and 48 on the slide plate I'I, whereby movement of said slide plate Il to release the balls I5 will operate said lever 46. A coin must be inserted before this slide plate can be moved. The advancing movement of the ratchet wheel may be either on the forward or return movement of the slide plate I'I. The return movement of slide plate II is eiected by springs I9. A xedly mounted spring pawl 50 engages the ratchet wheel 38 and prevents return movement thereof.

The mode of operation of this device is as follows, it being assumed that the cycle of operation starts with the ratchet wheel in a position 1n which the longer post 4 4 has just passed and released the lug 33'. Each time a coin is inserted and the slide plate Il' reciprocably moved to release the balls I5 the ratchet wheel will be advanced one step. After the ratchet wheel 38 has thus been advanced a predetermined number of steps and a corresponding number of coins have been received the post 4I will close the circuit to the lamp 23. This may be a signal that the player who plays the turn that lights the light 23 is entitled to a valuable prize. In a like manner a predetermined number of coins must be inserted to bring first the post 42 and then the post 43 in contact with the lug 3I' and repeat the lighting of lamp 23 and a further number must be inserted to bring the longer post 44 into engagement with the lug 33 and light the lamp 22 which marks the end of a cycle of operation and which may indicate that the player who has made the highest score during that cycle of operation is entitled to a valuable prize or premium. Obviously the number and positioning of the posts in the ratchet wheel may be varied.

In Fig. 6, I have shown a modiiied form of the invention in which I provide a ratchet bar 5I instead of a ratchet wheel. Posts 52 on said ratchet bar 5I are adapted to engage with and close switches 53 as the bar is advanced', thereby energizing circuits to signal means, as to lights of the form shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The bar 5I is moved in one direction by a pawl 55 on a lever 55 which is pivoted at 51 and is arranged to be oscillatedby lugs 58 which may be connected with a slide plate 591 of a form hereinbefore described. A- holding pawl 55 may be provided to` hold thebar 5Iy as it advances and a spring 5I may urge said bar back to the fully retracted position` in which it is shown in Fig. 6'. A suitable hand trip member 62', a. fragment only of which is shown, may be connected with the holding pawl 6l) and extend to the exterior of the cabinet so that the bar l may be released and moved by the spring 6| back to initial position after it has traversed the entire distance of a cycle.

The operation of the device shown in Fig. 6 is substantially the same as the operation of the device shown in Figs. 1-5. As the game is operated the ratchet bar 5I is advanced step by step and at the end of each predetermined number of operations it closes a switch and gives a signal. At the end of the cycle of operation the bar 5I snaps back to the initial position and is ready for another cycle.

In Fig. 7, I show a fragment of a ratchet operated member 63 which carries one or more visible signals directly inscribed thereon. These visible signals may be moved into registration with a sight opening 64 in an enclosing casing 65 at predetermined times in the cycle of operation of the game and signals thus given. The movable member B3 may be a bar as in Fig. 6, or a wheel, as in Figs. 1 to 5 or the shape thereof may be otherwise varied.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawing clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination, with a game apparatus of the type having an apertured ball playing surface and a slidable ball releasing panel therebelow, of signal means comprising a switch mechanism cyclically operable in steps by movement of said ball releasing panel to close a first signal circuit, and thereafter to close a second signal circuit corresponding to the end of the cycle of operation of said switch mechanism.

2. In combination, a game apparatus having a coin-controlled game release mechanism, and a signal mechanism including a switch having signal circuits and cyclically operable by said release mechanism to close certain signal circuits at predetermined intervals during the cycle of operation of said switch and close other signal circuits at the termination of said cycle of operation.

3. The combination of: a game apparatus havthe operation of a said coin-controlled member. switching members and operatively responsive to switch-operating means including parts transiing a coin-controlled game release mechanism, with a signal means comprising a plurality of electrically operable signals and a switch mechanism therefor rotated by said game release mechanism and having a rotatable contactor disc and contact operating means thereon, and stationary contacts engageable by said contact operating means during rotation of said disc by said game-release mechanism.

4. In combination: a game apparatus of the type having a coin-freed game release mechanism, and a signal means comprising a switch having a contactor disc rotatable in steps by said release mechanism, the said disc having extending contactor members engageable with stationary contactor means positioned relative to said disc in a manner to be cyclically engageable by predetermined ones of said extending contactors, and signal means operable by operative engagement of a said movable contacter with a corresponding said stationary contacter.

5. In game apparatus, the combination of a game device having a coin-controlled operating member; and signal means including signals operable by a switch, said switch including stationary circuit closing means and movable switchoperating means operatively engageable with predetermined ones of said stationary means, said movable means being operable by` said coin-controlled operating member.

6. In game apparatus, the combination of a game mechanism having a coin-controlled operating member; and signal means operable by a .switch having stationary switching members and switch-operating means including parts transiently engageable with predetermined ones of said switching members and operatively responsive to the operation of said coin-controlled member.

7. In game apparatus the combination of: a game mechanism having a coin-controlled operating member; and electrically operable signal means operable by switching means having stationary switching members and actuating means therefor including parts cyclically movable in steps for transient operative engagement with predetermined ones of said stationary switching members, said actuating means being operable by said coin-controlled operating member.

8. In game apparatus, the combination of a game mechanism having a coin-controlled operating device, with electrical signal means including a switch therefor having a rotatable disc with studs of different length extended therefrom, and stationary switching members disposed relative to said disc for transient engagement by determined ones of said studs to close circuits for said signal means, and means operable by said coincontrolled device to advance said disc in steps.

9. In combination with a game apparatus having a game operating mechanism, signal means comprising an electrically operated signal, means for operating said signal including a relatively stationary contact, a member slidable relative to and past said contact and having two spaced projections thereon engageable, at different times, with said contact, and means for moving said slidable member in a step by step movement relative to and past said contact so as to move the said projections thereon successively into engagement with said contact and thus successively actuate said signal.

KENNETH C. SI-IYVERS. 

